There is a need to store information for long periods of time without the use of power. For example, in many electronic devices and systems, data can be stored in a nonvolatile memory, or quasi-nonvolatile memory. A quasi-nonvolatile memory can be a memory with a ‘refresh’ interval order of magnitude longer than a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
One type of memory is a conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM). A CBRAM can have memory elements that store information in terms of the resistance level of two-terminal structure, which can include a metal/insulator/metal structure. A change in resistance can come about by the creation and destruction of a conductive pathway made mostly or, more commonly, entirely of metal atoms.